Bread pudding

I cannot believe how far back I had to go to find where I made this bread that I no longer like, way back to a ham sandwich in the middle of February. That's like three weeks ago. When I look back over all the things this loaf of bread did and how beautiful it started, well, I take back all the negative thoughts I've harbored toward it. What a champ. 

It's used up now. Exhausted. I could make another sandwich, croutons, whatever, but I decided on this. I objected to the flavor the bread was taking on. This bread pudding completely alters the flavor and texture that I objected to.

The bread is beginning to stale. The pepper and the fennel are more apparent than at first. The crumb is unpleasant. The remaining stubs and pieces are broken up to bits into a bread pan.

*  Half a stick of butter is melted and poured over the partially dried bread chunks

An ordinary custard is prepared in another bowl and poured over the bread chunks. The chunks must soak and absorb the liquid. The bread chunks will absorb more than you might imagine. They become completely sopping wet. The whole bread pan of bread chunks can be smashed then released to force absorption like a sponge underwater. This can take a long time, over an hour. The liquid completely permeates every possible air pocket of the bread crumb then fills in the remaining spaces until the molecular structure of the bread is changed and the liquid is thickened slightly by the dissolving bread. The liquid custard and the bread merge. Then in the oven the whole thing behaves like a soufflé. This can be done with any kind of junk bread but stale croissants are best, loaded with butter as they are. Fresh bread will not absorb the custard. 

*  4 eggs. These eggs were jumbo eggs. Two of the eggs had double yolks. I predicted they would be double by feeling their heft in my hand, plus one was longer than usual. I'm getting quite good at predicting which ones will have double yolks. 

*  2 cups milk.  I used a combination of heavy cream and milk

*  1/2 cup brown sugar

*  cinnamon

*  raisins

*  broken chocolate discs. 

*  vanilla extract